Thank you Rust-Oleum!

Just about two months ago, my sump pump decided to take, what IT determined to be, a well earned vacation at the same time we received heavy rain in the area. Luckily, the issue was caught quickly, however the damage was done. Water backed up and seeped up through our basement floor around every wall of the finished basement. This resulted in extensive damage. We received $5,000 through our homeowner’s insurance to fix the damages they estimated at over $15,000 so I have had my work cut out in trying to manage a miniscule budget and tremendous repairs. I suppose this is my DIY dream?!? After tearing out carpeting and plenty of drywall, we uncovered mold damage around the exterior walls in numerous places due to moisture issues that we have to address as we rebuild. The more drywall we pulled, the more damage has been uncovered. It has been a living nightmare, but I am thankful that these terrible events lead to us uncovering a silent problem that has been building for some time.

That brings me to my recent search for cost effective solutions to rebuilding! I’m trying to keep a positive outlook toward the task at hand. I figured this is the time to turn the basement into my ideal space. I’ve had plans and ideas but figured they would be years out; what better time than when I am starting from scratch anyway? This plan includes building a basement bar and creating the ideal hang out area for having friends and family over to visit as we love to entertain. As I was compiling a shopping list on HomeDepot.com, I started searching for inexpensive solutions to creating an awesome bar space on a limited budget. I love the look of stainless steel countertops but know I cannot afford to purchase the sheet metal necessary for the amount of counter space I have planned. I found unfinished stock cabinets that will be painted black and decided that I would use Rust-Oleum’s Stainless Steel Paint on my existing mini-fridge and freezer to go with the sleek industrial look that I’m going for. I thought the Stainless Steel Paint would look awesome on the counter top, but worried that a spray paint may not hold up that well to wiping and spills on a bar top over the years. That is when I saw the video for Rust-Oleum’s NeverWet. PERFECT! This product will protect the counter and allow quick and easy clean up for the inevitable spills. We’ve also been considering spraying it along the outside walls where we have to replace moldy wood to prevent water from potentially seeping in again.

I’ve gone from shock when we discovered the water, to exhaustion from bringing up all of our salvaged belongings to the main level and demolishing the basement, to stress over the affordability of rebuilding, and complete devastation when discovering the extent of the mold issue. I’ve finally come to excitement because I have a cohesive plan for trying to rebuild and Rust-Oleum’s NeverWet, along with their Stainless Steel Paint will have a huge part in creating my perfect basement on a budget! There has been a lot of blood (I’m clumsy), sweat, and tears so far and there is still a long road to completion. But, I figured it was worth a shot to enter the contest as I have nothing but the chance to gain another $1,000 to help rebuild after this sump pump fiasco! Hopefully, I will be able to reply with after photos once we are at that point!

I changed the plan up a little bit when I found a wonderful iridescent paint with metallic colors. I ended up painting the base coat black and sponging the metallics on from darkest to lightest. It has an awesome iridescence and is hard to capture the detail in the light because it just reflects off. The final coat is the NeverWet to seal everything from moisture that will undoubtedly spill onto the bar surface!